Improvement in life-preservers



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ABRAM J'. GIBSON, OF JWORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-PRESERVERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,809, dated December S, 1857.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, ABRAM J. GIBSON, of Vorcester, in the county of \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Life-Preserver for the Preven tion of Drowning; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure I is a view of the life-preservcr extended to show its construction. Fig. 2 is a front view ol' a man with the life-preserver secured to him. Fig. is a back view of the saine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several gures.

My improved life-preserver, which I terln the swimming life-preserver, consists of a deep belt of india-rubber, india-rubber cloth, or other water-proof and air-tight flexible material, constructed with air-chambers and having combined with it in the manner hereinafter described hollow fioats of similar material, which are of sufficient length to reach along a persons extended arm and which terminate in hollow paddles made to fit the hands, for the purpose of aiding the wearer in swimming.

A is the belt, which maybe from twelve to eighteen inches in depth and ot a size to completely encircle the body, and provided with straps a a and buckles b D to secure it in front. i

B B are the arm-Iloats, and (l C the paddles in which they terminate, said floats and paddles being so attached to the belt that when the belt is on the body the floats C C will iit along the side ofV the arm which is next the body and the paddles tit to the hand, which enables the arms to rest on the top of the floats B B when the wearer is in the water. The arm-iioats B I5 are furnished with straps e e and buckles ff to secure them to the hands.

In order to prevent the life-preserver be-- coming worthless by rupture or puncture in any part' I divide it into several air-chambers, cach of which is inflated at a different mouthpiece. Two chambers in the belt ext-end from g g to h 7b and are inflated at mouthpieces 7s at the top edge of the belt. Two others extend from 'z'- fL' to j and are inflated at mouth-pieces Z Z at the top edge of the belt, and two others, extending from h 7L to i 'L'- in the belt, constitute continuations in the two chambers in the arm-floats B B and paddles C C, and are inflated at the same time as the said arm-iioats and paddles through mouthpieces m m at the extremities of the paddles. The handles are broad and in the shape of fins.

This life-preserver possesses many advantages over the ordinary life-preserver, and a few of these maybe mentioned, viz: The arm and hand floats insure the greatest buoyancy to the upper part of the body and prevent the accidents sometimes resulting from the use of preservers in the forln of belts through said belts getting too low and allowing the head of the wearer to be forced under water. The buoyant paddles are of great aid to the wearer in swimming to a place of safety or to the aid of other persons not so well provided; and in aiding other persons the armiioats and paddles are ot the greatestpossible service, as their great buoyancy enables the wearer to support in the water without effort any person who can reach his arm and who is capable of laying hold of one of his hands or paddles.

I do not clailn the belt, nor do I claim the construction of an intiated Iife-preserver with separate air-chambers; neither do I claim of itself the use of buoyant paddles fitted and attached to the hands as an aid in swimming; but

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A life-preserver composed of a belt A, armfloats B B, and buoyant paddles C C, arranged and connected and furnished with straps or their equivalents to attach it to the person, substantially as herein described.

ABRAM J. GIBSON. Witnesses:

IV. TV. RICE, T. L. NELSON. 

